Italy's Eni could be sitting on a giant gas discovery with its deep-water Kekra-1 wildcat off Pakistan, if the nation’s upbeat politicians are proven correct.

“Based on the samples received so far from the drilling, we are hopeful to get good news by next month,” Petroleum Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan told reporters.

In mid-January, Eni spudded the Kekra-1 well with the results expected to have been known around mid-March.

However, The Express Tribune newspaper reported that drilling was suspended for a few days earlier this month to allow repair work to be carried out on the rig.